Lubricating means for braiding machines



1931. H. a. ROBINSON 4 1,791,286

LUBRICATING MEANS FOR BRAIDING MACHINES Original Filed P 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY INVENTOR Feb. 3-, 1931. *H. G. ROBINSON 1,791,286

LUBRICATIN'G MEANS FOR BRAIDING MACHINES Original led Sept- 24, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 fi 3'2; 9 X

INVENTOR ATTORN EY Feb. 3, 1931. ROBINSON 1,791,286

LUBRICATING MEANS FOR BRAIDING MACHINES Original Filed sept- 2 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet :5

INVENTOR Z QMM ATTO R N EY Patented Feb 3, 1 931 UNITED STATES NT OFFICE HARRY e. nonmson, or WATERBURY, connne'rrcirr, assieivon '1O INDUSTRIES or AMERICA, Inc, A conronrlr on or E WARE LUBRICATING MEANS FOR BBAIDING MACHINES Original application filed September 24,-, 1926 Serial No. $7,395, and inGer n any and France September 9, 1927. Divided and this application f led February ZO, 1928. Serial No. 255,727.

T his invention relates to braiding *machines, and has for an object the provision of an'improved braiding machine of the type in which braiding carriers are moved in intersecting sinuous paths by means of rotating driters with devices which hold the respective carriers against the drivers at their peripheries through a portion of their rotation,

andsvhich release the carriers at appropriate,

transfer regions where a carrier is passed from one driver to another and is thereby carried 111 a reversely curved part of the I sinuous path until the carrier is again trans 1 also been divided from said application,

ierred-to the next driver ottheseries, and so on throughout the. system of drivers.

The object of the present invention is the provision of means to eti'ect automatically the thorough and continuous lubrication of the operatinginstrumentalities, and to prevent soiling of the product by the lubricant; a cognate object being the organization of the operating parts, and the lubricant circu-- lating devices, in such a manner as to cone-ent'ate the fluff or fibres given oii by 'certaln 'materials and to utilize the same as afilter for the lubricant.

, Certain of theieatures herein illustrated form the'subject of claims in my co-pending application Serial No. 137,395, tiled Sept. 24,

braiding machine in the construction of which the invention has been embodied, with parts shown in elevation.

Fig. .2 is a horizontal section on the line 2-2 ofFig. 1, upon an enlarged scale. I

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, detail view in vertical section, on'an enlarged scale, taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.v Y

In the illustrated embodiment, the part designated by the reference numeral 1 is the casing adapted-to enclosethe actuating parts of a braiding machine, approximately-circular in form and comprising azbottom part 2 with :side walls 3 and h'aving'brackets M5" and (i tosupport the horizontal drive shaft 7 which is geared at Sto a vertical shaft 9 ex tending up through boss '10 and provided witha. spur gear 11 which constitutesthe main driving gear. of the braiding mechanism. Apulley 12 on the shaft '7 maybe driven by a .belt. 1.3,.and. atlt is provided a controlling clutch operated by a shipping 'lever 15. I

Referring to Fig. '2, it will be seen that the main driving gear lllllGShGS with a spur gear 16 upon a'bearing stud '17, drivingthe gear 15. anddrivingt'hereby the gear 18 at 7 one side of gear 11, and also the chain of gears l6 on vthe other side which are mounted rotatably rupon' bearingstuds 17 in an approximately circular arrangement within the casing 1, to the bottom 2 of which the studs aresecu-red inbosses 19 by suitable nuts 20, as shown in Figs. land 3.

In pursuance of the invention, a series or carrier, driver disks is previd'ed'for actuation by the gears 16 and 18, and ofthese disks thereinay be any suitable number, eight being shown inthe illustrated embodiment,

numbered 21 etc 28, these disks being supported in such a manner as to permit the attachment to their upper faces of flanged carriermembers 72 to 5" in the manner "best understood by reierence'to Fig. 3, which illustrates also apreferred type of braider unit supported by the carrier Z2 and designated generallygby,thereferenc'e character B.

The driverdisks 22 to27 are preferably of substantially identical construction throughout the series, and similarly connected with their respective gears-16, so that the follow ing description of the now preferred form of structure associated'with the driver disk 22 will serve asa descriptionof each. 9 The driver 22-i-s prefer ably'formed integrally with a hub .30 co-axial' with-the gear 16, and is provided with fouriarcuate peripheral' recesses 32 to receive the flange 33 with which each of the carrier members b to b" is provided so that as each carrier flange engages with one of the transfer disks its flange 33 enters one of these arcuate rccesses 32 and fits snugly against the curved wall 31 thereof, being embraced between the driver 22 and a cover plate 22*, the latter having its periphery cut away at 34 to clear the central post or neck Z) of the carrier.

In pursuance of an important object ofthe invention, means are provided to hold the carrier positively against the dish 22 while the same rotates from the transfer point at which it receives the carrier to the transfer point at which the disk passes the carrier on to the adjacent disk, where the carrier is released and is picked up by the adjacent disk and is there held by similar positively acting means.

The now preferred form of holding means comprises two sets of dogs 35 and 36 mounted on pivots 39 in radial slots 37 and 38 formed in the hub of the gear 16, the dogs being formed with yokes in which are anti-friction rollers 40 adapted to run upon a cam 41 mounted upon a stationary plate 112 extending horizontally across the casing.

All of these dogs are preferably so formed that by the action of centrifugal force and gravity they will be given a bias downwardl away fr in the flanges 33 of the carriers, tending normally to occupy the position of the dog in Fig. 3, and in pursuance of the invention the cam 11 is provided with annular face tracks 53 and 55, of a contour respec tively adapted to force the dogs 35 and 36 up wardly into the position shown in Fig. 3 at 86. In this position the shoulder as of the dog is adapted to enter the annular groove 42 with which the bottom of the carrier flange is provided, and serveswhen so engaged to prevent displacement of the carrier from the disk, crowding the carrier flange toward the curved wall 31 of the recess 32, and at the same tin'le forcing it firmly upward against the bottom of the plate 22.

Such engagement is illustrated clearly in the instance of the similar dog 14 pivoted at 15 within a radial slot 46 in the face disk 47 eX- tending from the hub 48 of driver 21, upon which disk is mounted plate 21, this driver being about to transfer the carrier 6 to the disk 22, for which operation the carrier will be released by the descent of dog 41 1 when its roller 10 runs down an incline 19 on track 50 of the cam 51, while the pick up of the carrier 6 is simultaneously performed by the dog 35 when its roller runs up the incline 52 of the inner track 53 of cam 41, this double action of the dogs being practically instantaneous, so that no dwell is required, nor is there any shock incidental to loose motion, the carrier being swung into reverse with a smooth, steady continuity of action which causes the machine to operate quietly and reliably, and increases its effective life.

In. the particular type of braiding machine selected for illustration, the braiding units are arranged to return upon their courses, in order to make flat braid for which purpose the disks 21 and 28 serve to accomplish the required change of direction, each carrier being swung around a complete circle by the disk 21 and by the disk 28 at the respective ends of the sinuous path.

Accordingly, each of the disks 21 and 28 has an extra seat 32 and a corresponding number of dogs a l, and means are provided to operate each dog to pick up a carrier at the single transfer point, occupied by the carrier in Figs. 2 and 3, and to release the carrier when the disk 21 has made a complete turn, so that one or more of the dogs 1 1- are always out of use on alternate rotations of the disk 21, and the same is true of the dogs on disk 28, which are identical in arrangement with those on 21.

A different type of cam motion is required to operate the dogs a l, and as the now preferred form of cam for this purpose, there may be utilized a cam 51 having a single cam track of uniform height throughout its extent, except at the re ion of the transfer point occupied by the ca-li' where there is a gap in the cam track, occupied by a slide. 5? having a plurality of aruate cam track segments 19 and 59 th inclines of which are brought alternately into position for action, by radial movement of the slide outward and inward between the times of transfer, the roller 40 of the dog running down one incline 19 the rotation of disk 21 brings the dog at near the transfer point, so that the roller 4.0 runs momentarily on the low path of the cam slide, and at this phase of the rotation of the driver, the dog 14 at that time passing is depressed and then its roller 40 runs up the opposite incline 19, causing the dog 1- to engage and hold one of the carriers 6 etc, this holding action being maintained by track 50 for one complete rotation of the driver Then the inward shifting of the slide 5'? brings one of the inclines 59 at the inner portion of the cam slide into registry with the circular part 50 of the cam track, and the roller 10 runs down one incline 59, allowing the appropriate dog 14: to fall and release the carrier 6 or the carrier which is b0 be transferred to the cooperating driver 22 and that carrier is immediately picked up by the proper dog 35 on the driver 22, and which swung around with the disk 22, until the transfer point to driver '23 is reached, and so on.

As suitable means to effect the required reciprocation of the slide 57, I have shown a gear 61 meshing with a gear 62 on the hub 48, and provided with a crank-pin 63 and slide-block 64 working in a slot 65 of the slide 57, a plate 66 being fastened upon the extent of fibre given off by some cam part 68 to hold the parts in assembled l relation.

The ratio of the gear 61 to gear 62 is two and one half to one, so that the slide 57, and its cam shoulders 49 and 59, makes five complete reciprocations for each two rotations of the disk 21; and thus each dog 44 is raised andlowered once upon each complete rotation of the disk.-

This insures that each carrier shall be picked up by disk 21 at a transfer point and carried completely around to the same transfer point and released for transfer after one such complete rotation of the disk.

The disks 21 and 28 may be provided with a different number of dogs than that shown, and the gear-ratio will be tnen varied accord ing to the work to be performed.

In pursuance of the invention, provision is made for automati lubrication of the various operating. parts, preferably by the mcans now to be described:

The casing 1 serves as a reservoir for fluid lubricant, 'ZO, which preferablyis maintained at a height sufiicient to reach the gears 11, 16 and 18, which accordingly derive their lubrication directly therefrom. v

The hubs-3O and at? are preferablychan nelled, at 71 and 72, to give access. of the lubricant to the bearing studs 17 and 73, and the latter are provided with spiral channels 7 1, terminating in peripheral grooves'75 to which the lubricant is elevated by the rotation of hubs 30 and 48, passing from the grooves 75 to channels 76 by which it is conveyed by centrifugal force to'the carrier seats 32 and thence flows by gravity down over the dogs 35, 36, 1a and the cam tracks 50, 52, 53, 55 and their associated parts, including the its parts will be sufiicient to permitcomplete understanding of their intended use.

Upright posts 100, with horizontal members 101, serve to support a closing device 102 to which the braiding components 82, whether threads, wires, or other suitable components, are led from the units B, and the completed product P is drawn off through rolls 103 operated by gears 104 driven by a worm 105 on the upright shaft 9. A handwheel 110 may be provided to work the machine for adjustment when the power is shut oil.

I claim:

In a braiding machine, a base adapted to contain lubricant in bulk, a series of rotary drivers having parts operating below the level of said lubricant, and parts operating above said level, said drivers being adapted to elevate said lubricant to lubricate said upper parts, and means to direct the counterflow of lubricant from said upper parts to said base, s-aid'means being adapted to collect fibrous material originating from the material being braided, and to utilize said material as a filter medium for said lubricant.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification. V

' HARRY G. ROBINSON;

slide 57, gears 61 and 62, etc, so that all Y the co-acting parts are constantly flushed v with lubricant, automatically. A coverplate 77 prevents escape of the lubricant, and also avoids intrusion of dirt, and to alarge of the ma-" terials being braided. g

Any fibres which may enter through such openings as maybe left in the path of the carriers, will be carried by the flow of lubricant and by centrifugal forceltoward the walls 3 and will descend therebetween the horizontal plate 112 and the walls 3, a depending flange 7 8 on the plate providing a peripheral sump within which the fibre is felted, as at 79, constituting a filter for the lubricant, which returns thence to the central reservoir, escaping beneath the flange 78, in a purified condition, being capable of repeated use without specialattention;

The overhead structure of the machine, shown in 1 constitutes one desirable form of construction to co-operate with the means herein described for actuation of the braiding units, and a brief designation of- 

